Young, Yeguete step up when Gators go cold

Published: Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at 6:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, December 8, 2011 at 12:06 a.m.

In its two previous big games this season, Florida looked good in losses.

On Wednesday night, the No. 10 Gators looked like a broken garbage bag in a win.

And that's the best news a Florida fan could have.

This is a team built on the 3-point shot and guard play. Against Arizona, the three-guard lineup of Erving Walker, Kenny Boynton and Brad Beal combined to make 3-of-18 shots from beyond the arc.

And the Gators still won.

Their second-leading scorer (Walker) was 3-of-16 from the field.

And they still won.

They had one of those once-in-a-decade calls go against them to force overtime.

And they still won.

They left 20 points on the free-throw line (17 misses, three of them the front ends of one-and-ones).

And they still won.

This was a night of high energy in the O-Dome and the Gators won because of the two players who seemed to have enough of it to light Gainesville for a week. Patric Young had 25 points and 10 rebounds. Billy Donovan thought he should have had more, but his guards didn't get him the ball enough.

“Kenny and Erving tried to take the game over the wrong way,” Donovan said.

And despite that, Florida won.

Because Will Yeguete played like a man Wednesday night.

“He was huge,” Young said. “Will always plays pretty tough.”

Certainly, Yeguete has played well since Erik Murphy suffered his knee injury, but with Murphy back and coming off the bench, Yeguete played at the only level that would allow Florida to win the game.

The line wasn't overwhelming — seven points, eight rebounds, four steals and a blocked shot in 31 minutes.

But it seemed as if every rebound was big, every steal crucial, every point clutch.

“He saved us,” Walker said.

I'm not big on putting too much into December games. Last December, Florida lost to Jacksonville and Central Florida and went on to come within a basket of the Final Four.

But Wednesday night was important to a Florida team that had played well in two tough losses on the road.

And it was important to win the way they did.

Not from outside the arc, but from inside the paint.

Certainly not at the free-throw line.

“We were 2-of-14 at one point,” Donovan said. “I could go out there right now and make 2-of-14 left-handed. Anyone in this room could make 2-of-14.”

Despite that and despite Boynton and Walker failing to score in the first half, the Gators were right there. Then came an Arizona run that silenced the crowd. Florida's body language looked terrible when it went down seven.

The Gators rallied, seemed to have the game won and then came controversy. With 3.9 seconds left in the game and UF up three, Solomon Hill took an inbounds pass and flailed his arms in the general direction of the basket. Casey Prather was called for the foul (he had been told to foul) and Hill was awarded three shots.

He made them, of course, and Florida went to overtime.

“I was a little annoyed going to overtime,” Donovan said.

After the game, he walked across the court to Jimmy Dykes, who was doing the game for ESPN2 and asked him if it was the right call.

This was where Florida could have come unglued. Instead, it was Yeguete scoring three straight points to put the Gators up four and Yeguete tipping the ball away from an Arizona guard to Walker.

Here, there and everywhere.

“He's like Dennis Rodman on a smaller scale,” Donovan said. “He just comes up with plays. He gives incredible effort. All of the things that people think aren't glamorous, he does. That's what coaches love.

<p>In its two previous big games this season, Florida looked good in losses.</p><p>On Wednesday night, the No. 10 Gators looked like a broken garbage bag in a win.</p><p>And that's the best news a Florida fan could have.</p><p>This is a team built on the 3-point shot and guard play. Against Arizona, the three-guard lineup of Erving Walker, Kenny Boynton and Brad Beal combined to make 3-of-18 shots from beyond the arc. </p><p>And the Gators still won.</p><hr/>
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<hr /><p>Their second-leading scorer (Walker) was 3-of-16 from the field.</p><p>And they still won.</p><p>They had one of those once-in-a-decade calls go against them to force overtime.</p><p>And they still won.</p><p>They left 20 points on the free-throw line (17 misses, three of them the front ends of one-and-ones).</p><p>And they still won.</p><p>This was a night of high energy in the O-Dome and the Gators won because of the two players who seemed to have enough of it to light Gainesville for a week. Patric Young had 25 points and 10 rebounds. Billy Donovan thought he should have had more, but his guards didn't get him the ball enough.</p><p>“Kenny and Erving tried to take the game over the wrong way,” Donovan said.</p><p>And despite that, Florida won.</p><p>Because Will Yeguete played like a man Wednesday night.</p><p>“He was huge,” Young said. “Will always plays pretty tough.”</p><p>Certainly, Yeguete has played well since Erik Murphy suffered his knee injury, but with Murphy back and coming off the bench, Yeguete played at the only level that would allow Florida to win the game.</p><p>The line wasn't overwhelming — seven points, eight rebounds, four steals and a blocked shot in 31 minutes.</p><p>But it seemed as if every rebound was big, every steal crucial, every point clutch.</p><p>“He saved us,” Walker said. </p><p>I'm not big on putting too much into December games. Last December, Florida lost to Jacksonville and Central Florida and went on to come within a basket of the Final Four. </p><p>But Wednesday night was important to a Florida team that had played well in two tough losses on the road. </p><p>And it was important to win the way they did.</p><p>Not from outside the arc, but from inside the paint.</p><p>Certainly not at the free-throw line.</p><p>“We were 2-of-14 at one point,” Donovan said. “I could go out there right now and make 2-of-14 left-handed. Anyone in this room could make 2-of-14.”</p><p>Despite that and despite Boynton and Walker failing to score in the first half, the Gators were right there. Then came an Arizona run that silenced the crowd. Florida's body language looked terrible when it went down seven. </p><p>The Gators rallied, seemed to have the game won and then came controversy. With 3.9 seconds left in the game and UF up three, Solomon Hill took an inbounds pass and flailed his arms in the general direction of the basket. Casey Prather was called for the foul (he had been told to foul) and Hill was awarded three shots.</p><p>He made them, of course, and Florida went to overtime.</p><p>“I was a little annoyed going to overtime,” Donovan said.</p><p>After the game, he walked across the court to Jimmy Dykes, who was doing the game for ESPN2 and asked him if it was the right call.</p><p>This was where Florida could have come unglued. Instead, it was Yeguete scoring three straight points to put the Gators up four and Yeguete tipping the ball away from an Arizona guard to Walker.</p><p>Here, there and everywhere.</p><p>“He's like Dennis Rodman on a smaller scale,” Donovan said. “He just comes up with plays. He gives incredible effort. All of the things that people think aren't glamorous, he does. That's what coaches love.</p><p>He's really special in that area.”</p><p>He was Wednesday night.</p><p>And Florida wouldn't have won without him.</p>